SAN FRANCISCO–Regardless of who the Giants hire to overhaul the team’s roster this offseason, significant changes are in order.

An offense responsible for one of the worst seasons in franchise history needs more youth, power and athleticism while a pitching staff loaded down by bloated contracts could use a few more arms at bargain prices.

Reshaping the core of the club is a difficult challenge made more complicated by the dynamics of the roster. Several high-profile players possess no-trade clauses and are under contract for at least the next two seasons while only four members of the 2018 team are free agents.

Pitcher Derek Holland, catcher Nick Hundley and outfielders Hunter Pence and Gregor Blanco are all free to pursue opportunities on the open market this winter, but at least two of the outgoing free agents could provide value to next year’s roster and are candidates to re-sign.

After the Giants lost starters Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to injury this summer, Holland emerged as a stabilizing force in the team’s rotation. A year after flaming out with the Chicago White Sox, Holland revived his career in San Francisco and posted a 2.87 ERA in 25 games after May 1.

Holland is likely hoping his efforts yield multi-year offers, but after staying under the luxury tax threshold in 2018, the Giants may feel comfortable extending the left-hander a two-year deal with a reasonable average annual salary.

A starter who ultimately proved reliable as a swingman, Holland has expressed a desire to return to the Giants even after enduring a losing season. Hundley was around for both 2017 and 2018, but after the final game of the year, he also showed an interest in returning to the club for one more season.

“The team that we put out there, if we’re healthy, it’s a team that’s capable of winning the World Series,” Hundley said. “So if I’m able to add to that, I definitely would enjoy that opportunity.”

Hundley’s potential return is more complicated than Holland’s, as the Giants will head into next year with a level of uncertainty at the catcher position. After undergoing hip surgery in August, Buster Posey hopes to be ready to catch by Opening Day, but the Giants won’t have clarity on the situation until at least the middle of spring. Rookie Aramis Garcia surprised manager Bruce Bochy and others within the organization during a strong September, but there’s a question as to whether Garcia is ready to handle a full-time backup role.

“This is a good chance to see what he is about,” Bochy said Sunday. “This kid has shown a lot. He’s shown toughness and his ability to handle major league pitching. So that will be a tough decision in his development.”

The Giants could re-sign Hundley to a one-year deal as insurance behind Posey, but doing so may limit the team’s opportunity to develop Garcia, who could be challenged for playing time as soon as 2020 by No. 2 overall draft choice Joey Bart.

Garcia’s versatility and ability to play first base is a bonus for the Giants, who kept Blanco on the Opening Day roster because of his experience handling all three outfield positions. After spending a three-month chunk of the year at Triple-A Sacramento, Blanco has indicated he would like to continue playing but has also quietly expressed interest in coaching if he can’t secure a contract.

If Blanco does ink another minor league deal, it will likely be the last of his career and come with another franchise. If he opts to retire and coach, the 34-year-old has many fans in the Giants’ organization.

“You get to this point in your career and sure, it crosses your mind and what a great coach he would make,” Bochy said Friday. “You guys know him, what a great person, positive, knows the game, being a role player and a starter, he would make an outstanding coach.”

The final free agent, Pence, has already begun training for the 2019 season in hopes he can reset his career in the same manner Holland did this year. The Giants celebrated the end of Pence’s six-plus year tenure in San Francisco with an emotional tribute on the final day of the regular season, but Pence plans on tinkering with his swing, proving himself in winter ball and attempting to latch on with a club next spring.

“Hopefully I can reinvent myself and come back and produce on the field,” Pence said. “Because I definitely feel I have the strength. My body is healthy and I absolutely have the love and the joy for the game so I’m going to try to do that.”

Though Pence hasn’t closed the door on a potential reunion with the Giants, a new general manager is unlikely to extend an invitation to spring training.

Kerry Crowley is a multimedia beat reporter covering the San Francisco Giants. He spent his early days throwing curveballs in San Francisco’s youth leagues before studying journalism at Arizona State University. Kerry has covered every level of baseball, from local preps to the Cape Cod League, and is now on a quest to determine which Major League city serves the best cheeseburger.